THE LOCOMOTIVE 255 



Uses of the steam engine. We have referred to one 

 common application of the steam engine, that is, in the loco- 

 motive. But we are also indebted to the steam engine for 

 many other services. The great dynamo which generates 

 electricity for lighting our homes and streets and for running 

 the electric cars is usually turned by a steam engine. 



Other applications of the steam engine are seen in factories, 

 where it is used to run the machinery. The great majority 

 of the common things that enter into our everyday life are 

 factory made. Our clothing is made from thread woven 

 or knit in mills. Many of our foods have passed through 

 some process in a factory. The shingles and boards in the 

 houses that furnish us shelter have been prepared in mills 

 run by steam engines. The furnaces and stoves that warm 

 our homes have come from the factory. The furniture in 

 our homes, the rugs on the floor, and the curtains at the 

 window have, somewhere in their process of manufacture, 

 been fashioned by machinery run by a steam engine. The 

 books and magazines that we read and the paper that comes 

 to our doors daily have been printed on presses operated by 

 the steam engine. 



In some cases water falls and electricity furnish the power 

 to run the machines of the factory ; but in most cases, the 

 electricity is generated by steam power, and the steam 

 engine is by far the most common source of power used 

 in factories. 



SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION 



1. What do you consider the most important use of the 

 locomotive ? 



2. Compare the methods of traveling from Boston to Wash- 

 ington used 100 years ago with the methods used now. 



3. What was Watt's contribution to the steam engine? 



4. What are the methods used for generating steam in a 

 locomotive ? 



